Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan
My point is: Art is simply too nebulous and personal to actually define... which may be the best definition of art there is.
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Art is a socially constructed category, that is to say there is not an objective "right answer" to be discovered about what art is - we get to (collectively) decide. However, there is a lot of commonality across individuals and cultures in how they respond to the various things we call art, and we can reasonably study those responses. Also, we choose definitions that are useful to us - in some particular context - and call that art. Without making such definitions we'd struggle to talk to one another about anything.
So, I'd agree that we shouldn't seek to mandate a definition, or think that we have the only answer. However, that doesnt mean that attempts to understand what art is, why we make it, how people respond to it etc. are impractical or without value - quite the opposite.